Prevent Heat Loss By Replacing Old Windows and Doors

Mar 26, 2018

Rather than using words, your property uses other means to indicate when something is wrong. Heat loss is an evident problem when your energy bill is too high during the winter. Air leakage can happen through several means, but your doors and windows are two primary channels. While these structures can last for 20 years or longer, weather and other factors can make them age faster. Replacing the old and worn ones can reduce heat loss and lower your energy bill.

Installing New Windows

The way that modern, energy-efficient windows are made allows you to recoup the cost of replacing your old windows. When you select the right ones for your home or business, they can reduce your cooling, heating and even lighting costs.

Passive solar design strategies use solar energy to generate cooling, heating and lighting for buildings. The regional climate and location determine the best design strategy for your area. However, the goal is to maximize solar heat gain in the winter while minimizing it in the summer.

In addition, energy performance ratings continue to improve for windows. Glass and glazing technologies have advanced to the point where designers can specify certain types of windows based on building design, climate and orientation. How the windows operate can also prevent heat loss.

Getting New Doors

Old exterior doors can contribute to air leakage more than windows, especially when they aren’t properly sealed, installed and insulated. Although weatherstripping can reduce heat loss, sometimes it’s more cost efficient to replace the doors.

Modern exterior doors have better insulation and often fit better. One of the most common types has a polyurethane foam insulation, which is surrounded with a steel skin. The weatherstripping is usually a magnetic strip similar to that on a refrigerator.

Doors with glass in them lose more heat than other exterior doors, but sliding glass doors are the worst. It’s a good investment to replace them with doors that have multiple glass layers or that have low-conductivity gases or low-emissivity coatings between the layers.

Prevent Heat Loss in Other Ways

Do you want more ways to reduce heat loss in your home or business? You can find more on Commonwealth Cooling & Heating’s page about sealing air leaks, or call (703) 436-8028.